Stocks close lower ahead of economic reports

NEW YORK — The stock market is ending with a modest loss as investors wait for a series of big economic reports later in the week.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 70 points, or 0.4 percent, to finish at 16,912 today. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped eight points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,969. The Nasdaq inched lower by two points, or 0.05 percent, to 4,442.

Nine of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 fell. Only telecommunications stocks rose.

The U.S. government will release gross domestic product figures for the April-June quarter on Wednesday. The next day, a report on China’s manufacturing industry will give investors an update on the health of the world’s factory floor. And on Friday, the U.S. Labor Department releases its monthly jobs report.